


Strength of Wood

by orphan_account



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: Angst?, Makoto comes face to face with her past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-19
Updated: 2014-10-19
Packaged: 2018-02-21 20:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2481152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Makoto meets her old Senpai while Christmas shopping and puts him in his place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strength of Wood

"Oi, Kino-Chan!"

With Christmas on a fast approach, the shops were somewhat crowded, with parents buying things for their children, adults looking for that special something to wear for the office night out, teenage girls trying to find the perfect dress for their dates on Christmas Eve… Makoto and the girls — Usagi, Minako, Rei, and Ami — were also in the midst of Christmas shopping, which included trying to find something for Chibiusa (who had been all too eagerly permitted to visit Hotaru).

That voice, however, was all too familiar. Makoto looked up from the dress she had been examining (and dreaming about wearing at the Kaiou-Tenou-Meioh-Tomoe family Christmas party, to which she and the girls had been invited) as the owner of the voice waved and then waded through the crowd towards her.

Makoto’s cheeks coloured, and she felt as if she had been booted in the stomach, her hand unconsciously moving over her belly to soothe the discomfort. Her breath hitched in her throat, as she struggled to speak.

"S-Senpai…"

All those years ago, at her old school, this boy — this man, now — had… well, Makoto had loved him, really. Clearly, he had rather liked the affection, but… rather than being honest — that he wasn’t into her — he had strung her along instead. He had gotten inside her head in the process, chipping away at her confidence with little remarks about her appearance or mannerisms or such — little flaws that Makoto had tried to fix. 

Then finally, he cast the finishing blow: he had a girlfriend already. To say that it stung was an understatement. The boy had been her world, her joy, her love… and as her world fell apart like so much fine china around her feet, Makoto had felt something collapse inside of her. For several weeks after, she had been numb, going through the motions…

Then one day, the wind changed, and Makoto moved schools.

She had never expected to run into him again.

"It’s been a while," Senpai chattered on. "You just disappeared one day—"

"Yes, and ‘disappear’ is what you should definitely do right now," came a sour voice from behind Makoto. When she turned, Minako, Rei, Usagi, and Ami were standing clustered behind her, having arrived while neither she nor Senpai were paying attention. Minako’s usually cheerful face was set in a scowl, her arms folded across her chest. Rei’s eyes were narrowed, as if studying every one of Senpai’s weak spots, preparing to take him down. Even Ami’s face was grim and stern, while Usagi simply looked worried.

"Haha, friends of yours, Kino-Chan?"

Mako felt her shoulders tense, sudden anger surging up within her. The little weasel had clearly been wrong footed by the appearance of her friends, and then there was the matter of the nickname.

"Don’t call me that," Makoto said at last. "I’m not that little girl anymore."

Senpai frowned. “Don’t we have history, though? I mean, you and I were—”

"You and I were nothing but a lie!" Makoto snapped. "How dare you even think that gives you the right to talk to me!"

By this time, heads were starting to turn as people looked over at the commotion.

"How dare you approach me, or think that because of some 'history', I should give you the time of day," Makoto went on her, her voice becoming a dangerous growl. "You lead me on, let me think I was flawed for being who I am, and then dumped me -- and you think I believe in our ' _history_ '?!"

A security guard was approaching from behind Senpai, a fact which Makoto just barely clocked, her attention largely focused on the sap of a man standing before her.

"If I were you," Makoto said, her voice barely above a whisper, glowering. "I'd run. Fast."

“‘Cause if Mako-Chan doesn’t hurt you,” Minako added, cracking her knuckles, “we will.”

Behind Makoto, Rei had pulled out an ofuda and appeared to be ready to chant the necessary incantation. Ami was doing her best to look threatening, and Usagi was frowning now as well, looking just about ready to dish out her own punishment. The security guard placed a hand on Senpai's shoulder.

"Is this man bothering you girls?"

The combination of the fierce reception, and the prospect of police trouble, seemed to be enough to cow Senpai into submission. He laughed awkwardly.

"If you’ll excuse me…" Senpai said, bowing. He then beat a rather hasty retreat, as the girls and the guard watched.

"Are you alright?" The guard asked.

Makoto nodded.

"Sorry to bother you, officer," she said absently.

"Not at all," The guard replied. "If you need me, I'll be over by the door." With that, he too left.

Once he was out of sight, Makoto sighed, relaxing her stance.

"Mako-Chan…" Usagi said softly. "A-Are you… OK?"

"What an idiot," Makoto muttered softly.

"Guess he never learned not to mess with fire," Minako said, folding her arms again.

"If he bothers you again," Rei said, scanning the store, "let us know." She smiled grimly. "He won’t survive it."

Just then, Usagi’s stomach grumbled, and she made a noise that sounded like, “guuuuuuuuuu.”

Upon hearing that, nobody could stay mad. Makoto started laughing, some of the tension melting away.

"What, are you hungry again, Usagi?" Makoto grinned. "Honestly, the amount you put away, you’d think nobody feeds you!"

"Mou, Mako-chaaaaaaaaan!" Usagi wailed, glomping the taller girl. Ami giggled as Makoto patted Usagi’s head.

"I think all of us could do with some sugar after that," Minako observed.

"There’s a really good restaurant not far from here," Rei said, smiling. "They’ve got crepes, and cheesecake, and tarts, and —"

"Sounds good," Makoto agreed. As it occurred to her, maybe something sweet would help ease the last of the tension. Gesturing with her free arm, she added, "lead the way!"

**END**


End file.
